The agenda going into matters of public import at City Hall last night was straightforward enough, not long. In many ways pro forma. Ask almost anyone who attended, and they likely missed the schism. [1]
Among other topics addressed during the traditional “State of the City Message,” Mayor Brian Marl expressed pride in reporting on Saline initiatives that have created “an environment that supports businesses of all sizes ….” Substantiating this, he cited Emagine Theatre, NAVYA, and the Best Western Premier Hotel (scheduled to open later this year). [2,3,4]
He expanded on this focus, this area, with further details about the ways in which the properties of which the new Saline hotel is a part “will transform our Eastern Corridor” — better known as Eastgate Saline. Zippy Auto Wash is up and running; groundbreaking on a new Junga’s ACE Hardware store is in the planning stages. [5,6]
Saline Journal was more pointed in our assessment of this transformation. Just a week before Mayor Marl spoke, we wrote: When “the Best Western Premier opens …, the effective Saline nexus will actually migrate from four-corners to a point just off the TCF Bank parking lot.” [7]
Well after these scripted remarks closed, City Council returned to the topic of Eastgate Saline development. Agenda item 19-07 posed the question of approving the sale of Lot 20A of the Sauk Trail Business Park, located next to the aformentioned car wash. Among other things, one of the soon-to-be-owners expressed enthusiasm about anticipated opening of “a grocery store” on that property. [8]
Between those consistent bookends came a presentation by Saline Main Street on the “new brand identity package,” already introduced on its website.
In between, there was a middle part — clearly in desperate need of reconciliation with much of the above.
That’s when Saline Main Street presented its plans for a new branding initiative planned on behalf of its own constituents. Executive director Holli Andrews was joined by Chris Kochmanski of DesignHub, who took the lead. He began by summarizing the two objectives of the group “communications strategy,” which he emphasized is “encouraged by the national Main Street organization and the Michigan Main Street Organization. [9,10,11,12]
The first is to increase the community’s awareness of Saline Main Street at the organization that’s primarily entrusted with nurturing downtown Saline as the vibrant core of our community …. [The] second is to help build downtown Saline desirability as a destination brand … for people within our community, and our surroundings, and elsewhere — farther away, as well.
Mr Kochmanski then asserted that direction regarding the first component was sole purview of Saline Main Street anything shared in that regard was purely for perspective. Input being solicited, then, would be limited to the destination part.
The importance of what that means as a responsibility of Saline City Council became increasingly evident through the structured PowerPoint slides that followed.
First, its “Brand Audit” was decidedly skewed toward consideration of downtown “Brand Associations.” At the same time, in listing its “Competition,” areas of Saline itself that fall outside of constituencies served by Saline Main Street, downtown, were conspicuously missing. However, all of these, too, are unmistakably cast as competitors under this proposal.
Saline Eastgate area, city retailers west of the Saline River, businesses north of Henne Field (just to name a very few) will be affected by this proposed new direction.
Slide after slide in Mr Kochmanski’s presentation showed headlines reading, “We are Saline, Michigan” — not “We are ‘Saline Main Street.'” Regardless of intent, the message that Saline City Council would be endorsing through buy-in to this strategy risks being that of “‘Saline’ is its main street area, and nothing else.”
As stated at the outset, this is about branding.
Again: An his State of the City Message, Mayor Marl cited a number of keystones as evidence of what makes Saline an environment that fosters business success. Not a single one of these was listed in the Saline Main Street audit of brand associations.
Remember those people from “elsewhere” and “farther away” that this campaign has promised to attract? This city, its taxpayers, and international manufacturing operations are all banking on those people staying at our new hotel — which is literally in the process of rolling out its own communication strategy that will shape visitor impressions of this venue. No mention of central coordination with that coming transformation in this plan. [13]
City Council will need to consider this lack of connection as it deliberates its own proper role in backing any plan to build downtown as the Saline destination brand
Encroaching upon another all-but sacrosanct axis, newly proposed Main Street branding makes significant use of the word “Historic” in positioning. Yet neither of the signature landmarks over which the Saline Area Historical Society has dutifully exercised stewardship falls within the purview of Saline Main Street, nor does Weber-Blaess one-room schoolhouse. [14,15]
At one point, comments from the dais alluded to readings of tourism promotions from Pure Michigan campaigns as a parallel to Saline Main Street “We are Saline, Michigan” pitches. What about the voices of Anges Dikeman, Cheryl Hoeft, Bob Lane, and Jim Roth? [16,17]
Far from an easy start to 2019 with an agenda centered on swearing-in ceremonies, the January 7 City Council Meeting opened the book on a tale of more than two cities here. Now that this has been pointed out, the necessary work of bringing them together can begin in earnest. [18]
References
- “Documents on Demand” Saline.
- “Emagine Saline” Emagine Entertainment.
- NAVYA (home page).
- “Best Western Premier” Best Western Hotels & Resorts.
- Zippy Auto Wash (home page).
- “Internet Predicts Death of Brick-and-Mortar; Junga’s ACE Hardware Building New Store” Dell Deaton (May 8, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Here’s A Look Back At 2018 For Clues About What Are Likely To Continue As Some Of The More Important Stories Of 2019” Dell Deaton (December 31, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Saline City Council Meeting 1-7-2019” City of Saline (January 7, 2019) Vimeo.
- Saline Main Street (home page).
- “About DesignHub” DesignHub.
- Main Street America (home page).
- Michigan Main Street (home page).
- “It’s About Time For A Look Inside Best Western Premier Hotel That Will Be Open In Eastgate Saline Next Spring” Dell Deaton (December 21, 2018) Saline Journal.
- Saline Area Historical Society (home page).
- “Weber Blaess” Saline Area Historical Society.
- “Tim Allen” IMDb.
- Pure Michigan (home page).
- A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (1859).
